3 Things to Keep in Mind When Planning Outdoor Events

Spring is in full-swing now in the Philadelphia area, which means that that outdoor events are in-season!

Outdoor events are wildly popular, but they are more challenging to plan because you must consider a key factor that you cannot control: weather.

1. Understanding Percentages

According to the?National Weather Service, “the probability of precipitation is simply a statistical probability of 0.01" inch of more of precipitation at a given area in the given forecast area in the time period specified. Using a 40% probability of rain as an example, it?does not?mean (1) that 40% of the area will be covered by precipitation at given time in the given forecast area or (2) that you will be seeing precipitation 40% of the time in the given forecast area for the given forecast time period.”

If the weather forecast in Philadelphia includes a 40% chance of rain today, the true meaning of that is that there is a 40% chance of .01” or more of rain at some point today in some location covered by the Philadelphia forecast. It does NOT mean that it will rain for 40% of the day or that 40% of the area will get rain.?In this example, if one town in Delaware County experiences a 15-minute rain shower that yields more than .01” of rain and the rest of the Philadelphia area is cloudy all day with no rain, the forecast was still accurate.

A forecast that includes a chance of rain does not mean your event will be a washout. It means it’s time to dig a little deeper into that forecast and determine exactly what it COULD mean for your event, and begin to take the necessary mitigation steps.

2. Rain or Shine

Many events will be advertised as “rain or shine.” It’s easy to include this line in your event materials, but we have found that it’s less common that conversations about what this really means have been had.

Have you had in-depth conversations about the differences between chance of rain showers, light rain, scattered showers, all-day rain, thunderstorms, rainy and windy, torrential downpours, possibility of flash flooding, etc.? It is entirely possible to hold your outdoor event when the forecast calls for a chance of showers or light rain. But, when the forecast calls for extreme or dangerous conditions (like high winds, torrential rain, or flash flooding), it’s impossible to ignore the hazards to attendees and your staff.

Our recommendation is to either stop using the phrase “rain or shine” or provide more information about what it really means, including details about back-up plans and when a final decision will be made. Determining the timeline for the final decision will likely require the input of all event stakeholders. As an example, if your event includes caterers or food trucks, you may not be able to wait until the day of the event to decide and instead will have to make the decision, days or even a week before the event.

3. Elements That Will Impact Budget

Outdoor events bring new categories of budget line items that are not typically seen for indoor events, including (but not limited to):

1. Shade?– is there natural shade or shade provided by existing structures, or will you need to create/build it? If you need to erect tents to provide cover from the elements, it could add thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars to your budget, depending on how many tents are needed and their size.
2. Permitting?– if you are hosting your event in an outdoor public space (like a park), it is likely that you will need special permits and possibly, additional insurance. Both of those items will carry a price tag.
3. Restrooms?– even if there are some restrooms in the area (either built-in or agreements with local businesses for attendees to use restrooms), you may be required by local agencies to provide a certain number of portable restrooms (and hand-washing stations).

If you’ve been tasked with planning an outdoor event, be sure to also build extra time in your timeline to address these factors, as well as other unique issues that arise when you are outside instead of inside.

Mazda T. Miles, CMM, is the owner and chief strategist at Perfection Events in Philadelphia. The firm specializes in design, planning and production of meetings and events for corporations, associations, nonprofit organizations and public sector entities. Learn more at perfection-events.com or call 888-267-1859.